350 Timing Problems

89FirebirdS17 · #1 05-12-2005, 12:14 PM

Hey, I have a 1989 Firebird that origianlly had the 2.8.........I swapped in a 350 from a 72 Monte Carlo and I can't get it to run right. When the engine was in the Monte it ran perfect and when I pulled the engne out I did not move the distributor or change the timing at all...........but now in my car the only way I can get it to run is to turn the distributor counter clockwise. So I had it running when I moved the timing but after I reved it up it backfired out of the carb and the only way to get it to run again is to turn the dist. more counter clockwise........so it keeps doing this and right now the dist. is pointing in the opposite direction of where it was in the Monte Carlo......I've changed the wires, plugs, cap, and rotor. and I made sure that the wires are hooked up right.............so does anyone have any clue what might be wrong???????Thanks

wrightz28 · #2 05-12-2005, 12:55 PM

What's controlling the advance, vacuum?

89FirebirdS17 · #3 05-12-2005, 01:49 PM

I'm not sure.....I dont think the distributor has vaccum advance because theres no place to hook vaccum up to on it

stephenp · #4 05-12-2005, 04:36 PM

???? hmm worn timing chain????
sure you didnt move it????
put a timing light on it... was it computer controlled and you swapped to a different ecu???
did you accidentlly bump the advance weights and somehow stick them when you changed the rotor???
also the back fire where you dumping gas in there to get it to fire???
i did that where i ended up pouring in to much and it back fired aggresivbly out the carb...

89FirebirdS17 · #5 05-12-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephenp

???? hmm worn timing chain????
sure you didnt move it????
put a timing light on it... was it computer controlled and you swapped to a different ecu???
did you accidentlly bump the advance weights and somehow stick them when you changed the rotor???
also the back fire where you dumping gas in there to get it to fire???
i did that where i ended up pouring in to much and it back fired aggresivbly out the carb...

The engine was rebuilt when it was in the Monte so I doubt the timing chain is worn.......It was never computer controlled....When it runs the idle is perfect and it only backfires when i rev it to about 5k rpms (dont have a tach so im guessing here) and once it backfires it wont stay running unless i hold the gas pedal........so thats when i have to move the dist to get it to run good again

89IROC&RS · #6 05-13-2005, 02:33 AM

um, if its completely turned around the opposite way, and running correctly, it means you installed it 180 degrees out of time, it happens from time to time.

also, there is a chance, that if the electronic connector for the Ignition Control Module is gone, and you plugged the wires in backwards, it will cause this problem, try switching them and see if it runs better.

wrightz28 · #7 05-13-2005, 09:42 AM

I'm thinking the rotor is 180 out?

But, you changed the story, at first you said the only way to get it to run was to turn the dizzy C.C.W.? So that tell me, you turn thae key and don't get squat form it. Now, it runs fine until you bring the RPMs up, that brings me back to a non exsistant or improper advance theory.

89FirebirdS17 · #8 05-13-2005, 08:06 PM

OK let me try to explain this better.......When I took the engine out of the Monte Carlo I did not move the dist......So the only thing I could have installed wrong would be the rotor button but i checked it and its right.........OK engine is now in the Firebird i try to start it and it wont run so I move the dist a little bit and it runs perfect until I rev it to about 5k then it backfires and will not idle smoothly.....so I turn it off and move the dist a little bit more counter clockwise and once again it idles perfect but when I rev to 5k it backfires out of the carb and then I have to turn the dist again to get it to idle again.................so basically I keep repeating the same thing with the dist to get it to idle....I have no clue why it backfires at 5k rpms and then wont idle smoothly until I move the dist more counter clockwise...........If I dont have vaccum advance what then controls the advance??............What do u mean by the ignition module?? Do you mean the coil on top of the dist cap?? If you do I have one wire plugged into it and th other place on the cap says tach so I dont think it would plug into there.....

89IROC&RS · #9 05-13-2005, 10:01 PM

sounds like it could be a Ignition Control Module problem. This is a module located underneith the distributor rotor. The coil is the ignition coil. Its a small block module with wires connected to it held down by two screws.

Also do you have the entire electrical system hooked up so that you can check the computer for error codes?

89FirebirdS17 · #10 05-13-2005, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

sounds like it could be a Ignition Control Module problem. This is a module located underneith the distributor rotor. The coil is the ignition coil. Its a small block module with wires connected to it held down by two screws.

Also do you have the entire electrical system hooked up so that you can check the computer for error codes?

I'll look at that module tomorrow but is there any way that I can test it??
No I don't even have the computer in the car anymore......The only electrical stuff I have on the engine hooked up is the alternator, distributor, and the starter....

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